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With little fanfare but much anticipation, a small group of residents watched early Friday morning as the Endeavour-Spirit Independence jack-up rig left the Homer Deep Water Dock en route to its drilling assignments.

Among those watching was Homer Harbormaster Bryan Hawkins, who has come to know the rig well since it first came to his port.

“The view has changed,” said Hawkins of the massive rig and its three, 410-foot legs that have become part of the Kachemak Bay scenery since it arrived in Homer on Aug. 24, 2012.

Incumbent State Rep. Paul Seaton has retained his seat on the Alaska State Legislature this year despite two challengers — first an August primary opponent and most recently Democratic challenger Liz Diament.

With all House District 30 precincts reporting late Tuesday, Seaton, a Homer Republican seeking his sixth term in the Legislature, took 4,167 votes to Diament’s 1,644 votes or 71.23 percent to 28.10 percent, respectively.